Impending Mapps Lawsuit

Wed, 28 Feb 2007
GITA GEOXchange [general_member] Listserver

Dear Geospatial Industry Colleagues:

You have probably heard by now about the impending lawsuit by MAPPS
against the U.S Government, but you may not be fully aware of all the
related activity that has taken place in the last month or two - or how
this may affect you personally.

About two weeks ago, AAG Executive Director Doug Richardson issued an
appeal for help in responding to what many of us view as "a serious
threat to the GIS industry." AAG has responded with a "friend of the
court" brief that GITA has agreed to support. In addition to GITA,
URISA, UCGIS, and GISCI are also part of this movement.

AAG's attorneys have prepared a legal brief responding to MAPPS' claims
and summarizing what is at stake for the mapping and GIS community. The
brief states, in part, "The case of MAPPS v. United States (E.D. Va. No.
1:06cv378), currently pending in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia,
could have dramatic consequences for the entire mapping community,
including the GIS industry. Simply put, an adverse outcome would
effectively exclude everyone but licensed architects, engineers, and
surveyors from federal government contracts for 'mapping' services of
every sort and description, not just those mapping services
traditionally provided by surveyors."

If you have not yet read this brief, I URGE YOU TO DO SO IMMEDIATELY!
The brief, as well as other documents related to this case, are on the
AAG website: http://www.aag.org/help/links.html. The brief is the first
link on the page.

Doug Richardson's appeal also included the following: "If you as an
individual, a company, or an association--in consultation with your
attorneys--believe that you could be negatively affected by the MAPPS
litigation, or are merely outraged at the nature of the Claims made by
MAPPS, et.al., as so many others are, please consider supporting our
legal and educational efforts to oppose this litigation and related
activities, with a donation to the MAPPING AND GIS COMMUNITY DEFENSE
FUND, at www.aag.org/help.

GITA will be distributing this appeal as well as the brief to everyone
attending our annual conference in San Antonio next week. An
"Associations Panel Discussion" on Tuesday afternoon will address this
topic, among other things. We will have a summary of the panel - to
include streaming audio - on our website as soon as possible following
the conference.

Please take some time to get up to speed on this complicated issue. It
is in your vital interest to be informed!

Bob Samborski
Executive Director, GITA
GITA
14456 East Evans Avenue
Aurora, CO 80014
Tel: (303) 337-0513 Fax: (303) 303-337-1001
Visit our website at: http://www.gita.org